2013 Maurice Batie Award of Excellence Recipient

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2013 winner Maggie Holcombe (right) presented by Adam Beamer

The following speech was made by 2012 Mo Award winner, Alex Berger on June 14, 2013 as she announced the 2013 Maurice Batie Award of Excellence.


Hello everyone. I remember this time last year receiving the Maurice Batie award, looking out into the crowd and thinking to myself wow, there’s a lot of people out there. And now one year later I am standing in front of all of you again thinking wow, there’s a lot of people out there.  Even though giving speeches is not my forte, I am excited to give this speech today.

I want to once again say thank you to the Northern Lights family that has stood behind me over the past 7 years and that I am grateful to have received such an amazing award.  While the Maurice Batie award was something I had always coveted, it was never in the forefront of my mind when it came to what I did on or off the court.  At heart, I am a gym rat. I love the game, I love my teammates and the Northern Lights gym has always felt like home to me.

Although I never knew Maurice Batie, his name frequently came up in the Northern Lights gym. The two phrases that are associated with the Maurice Batie award are “player,” and “good people.”

When thinking about the recipient of this year’s Maurice Batie award, I can say that she truly embodies what it stands for. She is “good people” and she definitely is “a player”.

She is more than just a volleyball player and more than just a teammate. She is a leader, an inspiration, and a driving force on every team she’s been a part of.  Her relentless commitment to the game and her team make others around her strive to work harder. And I think that’s pretty awesome.

While you may not notice her when she first walks out onto the court I guarantee, that after watching her play just one game…. you’ll never forget her. She is a die-hard player, a true-teammate, a motivator; she is my friend; she is “a player”.  She is all of these things and above all, she is humble about her abilities and about all that she adds to a team. In fact, I’m certain that she has never even considered that she has been nominated for this award.

This year’s recipient of the Maurice Batie award is a player that knows the true meaning of “never say die.” I am proud to be able to say that I was a member of the first volleyball team she ever played on and have been able to play with for several years since then. Even though we no longer play on the same team, I still consider her a teammate.

During her volleyball career, she has gone from not making a team one year to being on a team that won a National Championship; AND she was even awarded the MVP award at AAU’s last year.   I am excited for her future as a member of the Eau Claire Bluegolds — they are lucky to have her joining their team. Without further adieu, I would like to present this year’s Maurice Batie award to my friend and my teammate…Maggie Holcombe.